Tubular display stand having removable article supports



Feb. 2, 1965 R. l... LARSON 3,168,200

TUBULAR DISPLAY STAND HAVING REMOVABLE ARTICLE SUPPORTS Filed NOV. 26, 1962 INVENTOR. Rabe-r-i' L. Lav-son.

ce j zgmeq/ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,168,200 TUBULAR DISPLAY STAND HAVING REMOV- ABLE ARTICLE SUPPORTS Robert L. Larson, Auburn, Mass., assignor to Parker Metal Goods Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Nov. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 240,057 2 Claims. (Cl. 211-177) This invention relates to a display standard, and more particularly to a standard having laterally projecting arms for displaying goods to be sold as well as for other purposes.

Van'ous forms of standards have been made of wood and metal for holding garments and for displaying goods in a store, but'these devices have been cumbersome, expensive or not well adapted for holding a largenumber of small articles of variable sizes as is required in a store.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a sectional standard of variable length having a multiplicity of article supports which may be readily moved and adjusted to different positions to conform with the size and shape of the articles to be carried.

Another object is to provide a set of removable article supports which may be mounted in many and variable positions on the standard and which cooperate in pairs to hold each other in position.

Another object is to provide a plurality of tubular members so constructed that they may be telescopically assembled in a desired length and which may cooperate to prevent rotation of one tube relative to another.

Another object is to provide a base constructed of wire sections which are so shaped and arranged as to form a vertical lug for insertion into the lower end of the tubular post and which holds the post rigidly but removably assembled. Other objects will be apparent in the following disclosure.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate one embodiment of this invention:

FIG. 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, showing the base structure and only a few of the article supporting arms removably mounted on a central post;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional detail, drawn substantially to scale, showing the telescoping joint between two tubular posts of the standard;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail, broken away, of the standard post, and showing one of the article supporting arms mounted in place thereon;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail, partly broken away, taken on the section line 6-6 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detail showing the upwardly bent arms of the base which form a central lug for supporting the standard post upright.

As shown in FIG. 1, the standard comprises a plurality of interfitted and telescoping tubes 10, 11 and 12 of metal or suitable material which carry a plurality of removable laterally extending arms 14 adapted to support various types of articles thereon. The lowermost tube 12 is removably mounted on a lug or post (FIG. 7) formed by a continuation of the ends 15 of radially extending wire arms 16 which are parts of the supporting base of the standard.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tubes are removably and telescopingly interfitted. To this end, the top tube is crimped on diametrically opposite portions to provide deep grooves 17 which slidably interfit with an inside lug 18 in the outer tube 11, which is formed by indenting the tube 11 for that purpose. The lug and groove prevent the tubes from relative rotation. The primary purpose of this crimping of the lower end of the upper tube 10' is to shape that lower end as substantially a cylinder of slightly smaller external diameter than the cylindrical opening in the upper end of the lower tube 11. This construction provides a simple and readily assembled interfitting telescoping joint between the two tubes. A similar joint may be formed between the tubes 11 and 12, but the bottom end of the lowermost tube 12 is left uncrimped and cylindrical so that it may be readily mounted on the upstanding wire ends 15 which form a standard supporting lug. The middle tube 11 may be left with both ends of full size, and the tube 12 may have its upper end of reduced diameter. These telescoping portions may be suitably shaped for ready removability and yet provide a substantial rigidity for the upright post.

The base is formed of heavy metal wire which may be about the size shown in FIG. 7. The base is preferably formed of four separate bent wire sections shaped, as shown in FIG. 1, to form a substantially horizontal lower portion 16 bent downwardly to form the end foot 20 which may be shaped to have only the downwardly bent end portions contacting with the floor. Extending upwardly at anacute angle from that floor contacting portion 20 is the upper wire 22 which terminates in a horizontal end 23. There are preferably four of these wire arms of the base, and their upper horizontal inturned ends 23 are welded to an annular disc 24 at the top. That disc has a central hole through which the lowermost tube 12 of the standard may be'inserted. The lower horizontal wire portion 16 of each of the base frames is upwardly turned at its inner end as shown in FIG. 7 to provide the vertical portion 15. The four ends 15 of these base arms are assembled in a close relationship, and they cooperate to form an upstanding locating lug of a size which slidably interfits in the bottom cylindrical end of the tube 12. The cross arms 16 are welded to the underside of an annular disc 26 which has central hole 25 surrounding the locating lug formed by the wire ends 15.- The two discs 24 and 26 hold the four radially extending arms of the base securely in position and at right angles to each other. Thus, by means of the telescoping joints shown in FIG. 2 and the locating lug of FIG. 7, the several tubes of the standard may be readily assembled to provide different heights of standard or they may be removed for storage and shipping.

It is desirable to have a multiplicity of article supporting arms extending laterally or radially around the standard post and so mounted that they may be removably located in various desired positions. FIG. 1 shows only three of these arms, but it is to be understood that a large number of the arms may be removably'mounted on the central post. As shown in FIG. 4, any or each of the tubes 10, 11 and 12 of the post has holes 30 formed in suitable locations and preferably in diametrically opposed pairs for the sake of symmetry and rigidity of the arms. Some of the arms 14 are shown in the plane of the paper (FIG. 1) and pairs of holes 30 may be located at right angles thereto, so that the arms may extend perpendicularly in four directions and thus utilize the space in four compartments thus formed around the post.

Each of the arms 14 may be shaped as shown in FIGS 1, 4, and 5 to form a removable and variably located article support. The arm 14, which may be horizontal or preferably upwardly extending as shown in FIG. 1 may be bent to provide a vertical part (FIG. 4) 32 connecting at right angles with a horizontal section 33, and the latter is upturned to form the vertical end portion 34. Although the vertical portion 32 may lie flush against the outside of the central standard tube, it is preferred to weld a substantially U-shaped member 35 thereto. This member 35 has two parallel arms 36 extending at right angles arm. The portions 36 are of such length that they substantially engage the ends of the similar part 'on the V diametrically opposed side of the posh-as shown in FIG. 1, and thus prevent a lateral orrotary movement of each arm about the post. It will also be appreciated that the upstanding portion 34 of each arm lt'prevents disengagement of the arm from the tube, except as the arm is rotated to a substantially vertical or a lateral position which moves the end 34 to a horizontal position and permits its lateral withdrawal from the opening 30. Thus, each arm 14 is supported vertically only by the sole supporting hook 33, 34 and it is supported laterally and prevented from tilting or revolving around the standard by the two diametrically engaged ends of the U-shaped members 35, 3.6.

The outer end of each'of the arms 14 is preferably bent to form a large open loop 38 having its end 39 terminating at a sufficient spacing from the main portion of the arm that articles having rings or holes therein may he slid into place on the loop. Also, the smooth-surfaced loop 38 forms a satisfactory support for large and fragile articles, such as a garment; Thus, by this arrangement and construction, a large number of small articles may be hung or supported on the arms, and the latter may be moved to suitable positions to accommodate the various sizes of articles that are'to be displayed. The diametrically arranged slots 40 shown at the top of the tubular body (FIGS. 1 and 4) may serve for mounting an advertising card or the like, if the standard is used in a store.

As above-described, this invention comprises a display standard having a central post made of a plurality of telescoping tubular sections. One'or more of'the sections has a plurality of holes preferably arranged diametrically in pairs, and a set of wire arms are removably mounted in these holes and arranged for supporting articles thereon. The arms are preferably arranged in diametrically opposed pairs, and each arm preferably carries a U-shaped member arranged to engage opposite sides of the post. Each member mayextend halfway around the post and have an endwise engagement with a similar U-shaped member carried by the opposed arm. The lowermost tubular section of the post is mounted on a supporting base formed of radially extending wire arms, each of which has an inwardly upturned end, and these ends are closely arranged to form a'lug or post which is removably insertable in the open end of the lowermost tube of the post, and thereby holding the bottom of the post immovable. The legs of the base are preferably formed of separate bentiwire elements, each of which is secured near its two ends to two spaced ring shaped disks into which the bottom tube of the post is fitted, thereby forming a substantially rigid structure for supporting the standard, I

' said lug therein.

It will be appreciated that various equivalent structures may be substituted for those above-described and that numerous modifications may be made. Hence, the abovedescription is to be interpreted as setting forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and not as imposing limitations on the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A display standard comprising a sectional'tubular post, a supporting baseand removable radially extending article supporting arms, said sectional post comprising a plurality of tubes in a removably interfit-ted, telescoping arrangement, at least one tube having lateral holes, each of said arms being a shaped wire having an inner end removablyinterlocking in one of said holes and an outwardly extending article support, and said base comprising spaced, radiallyextending wire arms for support by a floor, each arm of the base comprising upper and lower runs of a wire bent to form a floor engaging loop and terminating in a long vertical, upWardly projecting wire end, said ends being closely arranged and collectively forming a vertical central lug removably interfitting in the bottom end of the lowermost tube and holding the standard upright, said base com-prising two spaced annular plates axially concentric with the sectional tubular post and to which the two ends of the base wire are secured, said post being removably supported by the. base arms and the annular plates being freely slidable on the'post during assembly of 2. A display standard comprising a central tubular post having vertically spaced holes arranged as pairs in diametrical opposition, two diametrically opposed article supporting arms having upperterminal hook ends interlocked with diametrically opposed holes, each hook end being the sole support of the arm vertically, said arms having U-shaped members engaging the outside of the post and extending circumferentially of the post into end wise contact diametrically of the tube so that said members support their respective arms againstvlateral movement, and a. supporting base of wire arms having an interlockingv engagement with the post to support the standard.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 733,037 V 7/03' Heimann 211-176 X 1,151,914 8/15 Weaver 287-109 X 2,222,527 11/40 Boughter 287-58 2,227,152 12/40 Pidot 287-58 2,341,424 2/44 Chason 287-58 X 2,476,216 7/49 Polleau' 248-191 2,604,214 7 /52 Fussell 217-176 2,775,221 12/56 Olson 248-44 X 2,992,845 7/ 61 Blanchard 248-191 X 3,080,067 3/63 Lind 211-177 X CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primar Examiner. 

2. A DISPLAY STANDARD COMPRISING A CENTRAL TUBULAR POST HAVING VERTICALLY SPACED HOLES ARRANGED AS PAIRS IN DIAMETRICAL OPPOSITION, TWO DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED ARTICLE SUPPORTING ARMS HAVING UPPER TERMINAL HOOK ENDS INTERLOCKED WITH DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED HOLES, EACH HOOK END BEING THE SOLE SUPPORT OF THE ARM VERTICALLY, SAID ARMS HAVING U-SHAPED MEMBERS ENGAGING THE OUTSIDE OF THE POST AND EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE POST INTO END WISE CONTACT DIAMETRICALLY OF THE TUBE SO THAT SAID MEMBERS SUPPORT THEIR RESPECTIVE ARMS AGAINST LATERAL MOVEMENT, AND A SUPPORTING BASE OF WIRE ARMS HAVING AN INTERLOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE POSE TO SUPPORT THE STANDARD. 